Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%"></TD><TD>|</TD><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD background=images/dash.gif height=1>
</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=10>Last updated at 9:43 AM on 24/11/09 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Lab results confirm H1N1 presence in six more deaths
BY GAZETTE STAFF
The Southern Gazette
The provincial Department of Health and Community Services has received laboratory confirmation an additional six individuals have tested positive, either before or after death, for H1N1.
Health and Community Services Minister Jerome Kennedy and the province?s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Faith Stratton gave an update regarding the seven previously reported H1N1 deaths and the six additional deaths Friday.
The province?s chief medical examiner is reviewing the deaths to assess the role H1N1 may have played.
Mr. Kennedy noted the review is separate from an ongoing evaluation of the continuum of care individuals received from the time patients presented to a clinic, and up to and including the time of their death.
?As I have previously publicly stated, a review by medical professionals is ongoing to ensure we are accurately capturing and reporting the role H1N1 infection may have played in any of the recent deaths.
?This review is essential to ensuring we are producing the information required by the Public Health Agency of Canada for surveillance purposes, while at the same time accurately reflecting a true picture of whether H1N1 was the primary cause of death or was a factor that may have contributed to death.?
It is expected the review will be finished some time this week at which time more information will be made available to the public.
In the process of reporting H1N1 deaths, some attending physicians expressed concern about whether or not a death was primarily caused by H1N1.
In response to the need to ensure the information being publicly reported was complete and accurate, the province introduced a further quality check to validate testing results of the public health laboratory, and to ensure it appropriately categorized deaths primarily caused by H1N1 versus those that occurred with H1N1 as a contributing factor only.
Mr. Kennedy indicated ?The purpose of the review is to differentiate if an individual died as a direct result of H1N1 infection or if H1N1 was a contributing factor only. The purpose of this review is to ensure that we report accurate information to the public about the true cause of death.?
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) defines a H1N1 related death as a death occurring in any person with laboratory-confirmed pandemic (H1N1) influenza with no period of complete recovery between illness and death.
This information is reported by all jurisdictions across the country on a bi-weekly basis from a surveillance perspective. Any death occurring in a person with influenza like illness (ILI), who has a laboratory confirmed H1N1 infection, will be reported to the PHAC for public health purposes.
The PHAC reporting, however, does not specify whether or not H1N1 was the primary cause of death.
Dr. Stratton noted ?As we get further information regarding H1N1 and are able to analyze the data, we will release it to the public. This detailed information will continue to be reported to Public Health Agency of Canada and will be used for surveillance and research purposes across the country.
?Tracking and reporting this kind of information is essential to ensuring public health officials are able to understand the nature of pandemic illness which will ultimately lead to better planning and protection of health for the population in the future.?
MASS IMMUNIZATIONS
Minister Kennedy also announced Friday all remaining individuals in the province are now eligible to receive the H1N1 vaccine effective immediately.
Students in Grades 10-12 began receiving the vaccine last week within the school system, where possible.
Mr. Kennedy indicated the province received 35,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine Friday and were expecting to receive a further supply over the weekend.
All clinics are operating on a first-come, first-serve basis and will use a numbering system.
For specific details regarding clinic locations and times, residents in the Eastern Health region may phone 1-877-752-4358 or visit ?www.easternhealth.ca?.
Immunizations of individuals in long-term care facilities, personal care homes, those in receipt of continuing care and acute care patients being discharged from hospital began over the weekend and continue this week.
The public clinics are also open to children requiring a second half dose of the H1N1 vaccine.
The provincial government reminded it is critical children, not present for the second half dose of vaccine, must meet the following criteria:
- All children ages six months up to but not including three years of age;
- Children ages three up to but not including 10 who have a chronic illness; and
- Children must have received their first half dose a minimum of 21 days before receiving the second half dose (Parents are asked to bring their child?s immunization card with them).
http://www.southerngazette.ca/index.cfm?sid=305327&sc=382
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Lab results confirm H1N1 presence in six more deaths
BY GAZETTE STAFF
The Southern Gazette
The provincial Department of Health and Community Services has received laboratory confirmation an additional six individuals have tested positive, either before or after death, for H1N1.
Health and Community Services Minister Jerome Kennedy and the province?s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Faith Stratton gave an update regarding the seven previously reported H1N1 deaths and the six additional deaths Friday.
The province?s chief medical examiner is reviewing the deaths to assess the role H1N1 may have played.
Mr. Kennedy noted the review is separate from an ongoing evaluation of the continuum of care individuals received from the time patients presented to a clinic, and up to and including the time of their death.
?As I have previously publicly stated, a review by medical professionals is ongoing to ensure we are accurately capturing and reporting the role H1N1 infection may have played in any of the recent deaths.
?This review is essential to ensuring we are producing the information required by the Public Health Agency of Canada for surveillance purposes, while at the same time accurately reflecting a true picture of whether H1N1 was the primary cause of death or was a factor that may have contributed to death.?
It is expected the review will be finished some time this week at which time more information will be made available to the public.
In the process of reporting H1N1 deaths, some attending physicians expressed concern about whether or not a death was primarily caused by H1N1.
In response to the need to ensure the information being publicly reported was complete and accurate, the province introduced a further quality check to validate testing results of the public health laboratory, and to ensure it appropriately categorized deaths primarily caused by H1N1 versus those that occurred with H1N1 as a contributing factor only.
Mr. Kennedy indicated ?The purpose of the review is to differentiate if an individual died as a direct result of H1N1 infection or if H1N1 was a contributing factor only. The purpose of this review is to ensure that we report accurate information to the public about the true cause of death.?
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) defines a H1N1 related death as a death occurring in any person with laboratory-confirmed pandemic (H1N1) influenza with no period of complete recovery between illness and death.
This information is reported by all jurisdictions across the country on a bi-weekly basis from a surveillance perspective. Any death occurring in a person with influenza like illness (ILI), who has a laboratory confirmed H1N1 infection, will be reported to the PHAC for public health purposes.
The PHAC reporting, however, does not specify whether or not H1N1 was the primary cause of death.
Dr. Stratton noted ?As we get further information regarding H1N1 and are able to analyze the data, we will release it to the public. This detailed information will continue to be reported to Public Health Agency of Canada and will be used for surveillance and research purposes across the country.
?Tracking and reporting this kind of information is essential to ensuring public health officials are able to understand the nature of pandemic illness which will ultimately lead to better planning and protection of health for the population in the future.?
MASS IMMUNIZATIONS
Minister Kennedy also announced Friday all remaining individuals in the province are now eligible to receive the H1N1 vaccine effective immediately.
Students in Grades 10-12 began receiving the vaccine last week within the school system, where possible.
Mr. Kennedy indicated the province received 35,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine Friday and were expecting to receive a further supply over the weekend.
All clinics are operating on a first-come, first-serve basis and will use a numbering system.
For specific details regarding clinic locations and times, residents in the Eastern Health region may phone 1-877-752-4358 or visit ?www.easternhealth.ca?.
Immunizations of individuals in long-term care facilities, personal care homes, those in receipt of continuing care and acute care patients being discharged from hospital began over the weekend and continue this week.
The public clinics are also open to children requiring a second half dose of the H1N1 vaccine.
The provincial government reminded it is critical children, not present for the second half dose of vaccine, must meet the following criteria:
- All children ages six months up to but not including three years of age;
- Children ages three up to but not including 10 who have a chronic illness; and
- Children must have received their first half dose a minimum of 21 days before receiving the second half dose (Parents are asked to bring their child?s immunization card with them).
http://www.southerngazette.ca/index.cfm?sid=305327&sc=382
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